Shipping containers for large pieces of furniture have always been a source of expense since the containers must be well built and strong enough to protect the contents. At the receiving end the container is generally destroyed during unpacking and must be thrown away. This is especially true of containers that are difficult to unpack. This practice is additionally expensive when the receiver of the furniture discovers that some of the received pieces have been damaged and must be returned to the manufacturer. When this occurs, a makeshift carton is often used which may be the cause of further damage.
The present invention provides a returnable box for large heavy pieces of furniture. The box is designed so that it opens easily to reveal the entire piece so that inspection can be made before the piece is lifted from the carton base. The box includes a wooden base, and front and back foldable portions secured to the base and held together by sealing tapes. When the sealing tapes and portions of the bottom side panels of the foldable portions are cut and the two portions unfolded, the entire furniture piece is available for inspection. Then, if damage is discovered and a return is necessary the front and back panels are folded into place, securing tapes are applied and the box is ready for its return trip.
One of the features of the invention is the ease with which furniture pieces can be packed and unpacked in the furniture box.
Another feature of the invention is the facility of inspection before the complete removal of the piece from the box.
Still another feature of the subject invention is the combination of the foldable carton portions and the wood skid base which achieves the advantages of: (1) providing the furniture piece with a solid base to sit on; (2) holding the returnable carton together at its base from which both the inner and outer foldable carton portions are hinged; and (3) providing support and added strength to the returnable carton.
Other features of the invention will be disclosed in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.